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ARTICLE |
RI-mediated nuclear factor
B activation and cytokine production from mast cell degranulation
CORRESPONDENCE Jürgen Ruland: jruland{at}lrz.tum.de
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RI, which induce cell degranulation with the release of preformed mediators and de novo synthesis of proinflammatory leukotrienes and cytokines. How these individual mast cell responses are differentially controlled is still unresolved. We identify B cell lymphoma 10 (Bcl10) and mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue 1 (Malt1) as novel key regulators of mast cell signaling. Mice deficient for either protein display severely impaired IgE-dependent late phase anaphylactic reactions. Mast cells from these animals neither activate nuclear factor
B (NF-
B) nor produce tumor necrosis factor
or interleukin 6 upon Fc
RI ligation even though proximal signaling, degranulation, and leukotriene secretion are normal. Thus, Bcl10 and Malt1 are essential positive mediators of Fc
RI-dependent mast cell activation that selectively uncouple NF-
Binduced proinflammatory cytokine production from degranulation and leukotriene synthesis.
B, inhibitor of
B; IKK, I
B kinase; Iono, ionomycin; Jnk, c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase; Malt1, mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue 1; MAP, mitogen-activated protein; PCA, passive cutaneous anaphylaxis; PKC, protein kinase C; SCF, stem cell factor. Mast cells are derived from myeloid progenitor cells and widely distributed throughout vascularized tissues. They participate in innate and adaptive immune defenses against bacteria and parasites and play a key role in IgE-mediated allergic diseases such as atopy and asthma, which are responsible for increasing global health problems (1). Moreover, mast cells contribute to autoimmunity and are involved in pathological tissue remodeling processes that are associated with chronic inflammation. All these biological and pathological functions are triggered by mast cellderived proinflammatory mediators such as histamine, arachidonic acid metabolites, and cytokines, which are released upon mast cell activation.
The major stimulus for mast cell activation is the aggregation of the high-affinity receptor for IgE, Fc
RI (2, 3). Cross-linking of Fc
RI-bound IgE with multivalent antigen or allergen triggers a series of biochemical events that culminate in mast cell effector function. Signaling is initiated through the phosphorylation of immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs in the tails of the Fc
RI ß and
subunits by Src family protein tyrosine kinases (2). The tyrosine-phosphorylated immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs recruit the kinase Syk, which, together with the activated receptor-proximal Src protein tyrosine kinases, mediates phosphorylation and consequent reorganization of adaptor and scaffolding proteins at the activated Fc
RI complex. Collectively, early signaling induces the activation of downstream enzymes such as phosphatidylinositol 3kinase and phospholipase C, the generation of second messengers (e.g., inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate, 1,2-diacylglycerol, and free calcium), and activation of protein kinase C (PKC) isoforms.
Ultimately, Fc
RI aggregation activates several downstream pathways that initiate the allergic inflammatory process by eliciting mast cell degranulation with a rapid release of preformed vasoactive amines such as histamine and serotonin and by triggering the de novo synthesis of proinflammatory arachidonic acid metabolites and potent cytokines like TNF-
or IL-6 (1). In addition, signals from the Fc
RI activate genetic survival programs that block cell death after IgE stimulation (4, 5). Crucial for immediate-type allergic reactions is the instant degranulation, whereas mast cellmediated late phase reactions and IgE-induced chronic allergic inflammatory processes are mainly dependent on the production of cytokines and the initiation of leukocyte effector cascades (1, 6). Major questions in mast cell biology are how early signaling events after Fc
RI aggregation are integrated and how selected mast cell responsessuch as the immediate degranulation or the delayed cytokine productionare individually controlled, because the identification of molecules that regulate specific mast cell effector functions selectively would provide novel targets for rational therapies of mast cellmediated diseases (3).
NF-
B is a master transcription factor that controls the expression of proinflammatory gene products in cells of many different lineages (7). The predominant NF-
B dimer in many cell types, including mast cells, is a p50/RelA heterodimer (7, 8). The activity of NF-
B is tightly controlled by inhibitor of
B (I
B) proteins that can bind to NF-
B dimers and retain them in an inactive state in the cytoplasm. NF-
B can be activated through either the canonical or the alternative pathway (7). The canonical pathway is responsible for the activation of p50/RelA dimers and involves the activation of the multisubunit I
B kinase (IKK) that phosphorylates I
B proteins on conserved serine residues to target them to ubiquitin-dependent degradation. This process frees NF-
B and allows its translocation into the nucleus and transactivation of target genes. Many of the proinflammatory cytokine genes that are expressed in activated mast cells are regulated by NF-
B (714). In particular, the production of TNF-
and IL-6 in response to Fc
RI ligation is strictly dependent on IKK and NF-
B activity (10, 14). Both cytokines play key roles in mast cellmediated inflammatory responses. Yet, the signaling intermediates that connect Fc
RI-proximal events to IKK activation are unknown.
Recently, the caspase recruitment domain protein B cell lymphoma 10 (Bcl10) and the paracaspase mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue 1 (Malt1) were identified as key regulators of T cell and B cell antigen receptor signaling (15). Bcl10 and Malt1 can directly bind to each other, and the two proteins cooperate in the assembly of a cellular complex that can mediate signal-specific activation of IKK. Both Bcl10 and Malt1 additionally regulate the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (Jnk) and p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathways in lymphocytes, and Bcl10 also has a Malt1-independent role during neurodevelopment (1620). Immunological functions of Bcl10 and Malt1 in nonlymphoid cells are still largely undefined, and it is as of yet unknown whether they play any role in mast cells.
In this paper, we show that Bcl10 and Malt1 are essential for normal mast cell function in vivo and in vitro. Although mice deficient for either molecule exhibit normal numbers of skin mast cells and regular IgE-mediated immediate phase anaphylactic reactions, late phase anaphylactic reactions are severely blunted in these animals. In vitro bone marrowderived mast cells from Bcl10- or Malt1-deficient mice neither produce TNF-
nor IL-6 in response to Fc
RI stimulation, whereas the capacity to produce leukotrienes and degranulation is normal. On a molecular level, we find that Fc
RI-proximal signaling (the activation of the MAP kinases extracellular signalregulated kinase [Erk], Jnk, and p38) and the activation of Akt are intact in Bcl10- or Malt1-deficient mast cells. However, NF-
B cannot be activated in response to Fc
RI aggregation. Thus, we identify Bcl10 and Malt1 as crucial positive regulators of Fc
RI-dependent NF-
B activation that selectively uncouple proinflammatory cytokine production from degranulation and lipid mediator synthesis.
| RESULTS |
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RI, were also equal (Fig. 1 C). Importantly, the Fc
RI expression level was not influenced by either the Bcl10 or Malt1 disruption. Western blot analysis demonstrated that WT mast cells express both Bcl10 and Malt1 (Fig. 1 D). As expected, Bcl10/ mast cells do not produce the Bcl10 protein, whereas Malt1/ mast cells do not contain the Malt1 protein. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that, although Bcl10 and Malt1 are expressed in normal mast cells, their absence affects neither skin mast cell development in vivo nor BMMC differentiation in vitro. Interestingly, the expression level of Bcl10 is reduced in Malt1/ mast cells and the Malt1 protein concentration is smaller in Bcl10/ BMMCs compared with the WT, suggesting that cellular levels of each of the two binding partners depend on the presence of the other.
Bcl10 and Malt1 are required for normal mast cell function in vivo
To test whether Bcl10 or Malt1 play a functional role in mast cells in vivo, we performed two types of Fc
RI-mediated passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (PCA) experiments (21, 22). We addressed the immediate and the late phase PCA responses separately (Fig. 2).
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We next examined the late phase PCA response that is promoted by mast cellderived proinflammatory cytokines (1, 23, 24). Mice were sensitized i.v. with anti-DNP IgE antibody. 24 h later, the hapten dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB; 0.2% wt/vol) was epicutaneously applied to both sides of the ears. Although WT mice exhibited the anticipated prominent edema as early as 6 h and reached a maximum 24 h after antigen stimulation, both Bcl10/ and Malt1/ mice showed only a minor response (Fig. 2 C). Even 24 and 48 h after antigen challenge, the increase in ear thickness in the mutant animals reached <20% of that observed in WT mice. Therefore, we conclude that both Bcl10 and Malt1 are essentially required for regular IgE-dependent late phase PCA reactions in vivo.
Bcl10 and Malt1 differentially regulate Fc
RI-mediated degranulation, lipid mediator secretion, and cytokine production
To provide a basis for the defective PCA reactions in Bcl10- and Malt1-deficient mice, we examined the capacities of Bcl10/, Malt1/, and WT mast cells to degranulate, synthesize, and secrete lipid mediators and to produce cytokines (Fig. 3 and see Fig. 4). These and all subsequent analyses were performed on BMMCs in vitro.
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RI cross-linking with increasing doses of multivalent antigen to induce cell degranulation (Fig. 3 A). Mast cells release the enzyme ß-hexosaminidase from intracellular granules whose activity in the culture supernatant can be quantified to determine the efficiency of mast cell degranulation (25). Consistent with the normal Evans blue dye extravasation during the immediate phase PCA reaction in vivo, mast cells derived from Bcl10- or Malt1-deficient mice released similar amounts of ß-hexosaminidase as WT BMMCs in response to Fc
RI ligation. We also stimulated cells with PMA together with the calcium ionophore ionomycin (Iono). These pharmacological agents bypass Fc
RI-proximal signaling events and stimulate cells directly by mobilizing free calcium ions and activating PKC enzymes. Again, no substantial differences in ß-hexosaminidase activity were detected in the supernatants of BMMCs of the three genotypes (Fig. 3 A).
Furthermore, we investigated the production of proinflammatory lipid mediators in WT, Bcl10/, and Malt1/ BMMCs in response to Fc
RI ligation using an enzyme-linked immunoassay (Fig. 3 B). Mast cells of the three genotypes produced equal amounts of the leukotrienes C4, D4, and E4 (LTC4, LTD4, and LTE4). BMMC activation with PMA/Iono also induces robust leukotriene production. Again, no differences were found between WT, Bcl10/, and Malt1/ BMMCs (Fig. 3 B). Collectively, these first sets of in vitro experiments show that the signaling proteins Bcl10 and Malt1 are dispensable for mast cell degranulation or leukotriene synthesis in response to Fc
RI ligation or PMA/Iono treatment.
It is known that the late phase PCA response in vivo is at least in part induced by proinflammatory cytokines, in particular TNF-
, released from activated mast cells (1, 23, 24). Therefore, we were especially interested in measuring the transcriptional induction, production, and release of cytokines by Bcl10/ and Malt1/ mast cells in response to Fc
RI stimulation in vitro. To this end, we first performed time course experiments and analyzed the concentrations of TNF-
and IL-6 in the supernatant of stimulated cells by ELISA. WT mast cells produced both mediators readily (Fig. 4 A). The maximal concentrations were detected after 2 h of stimulation. In sharp contrast, Bcl10/ and Malt1/ BMMCs produced only minute amounts of TNF-
or IL-6 even at later time points. To further characterize the defects in TNF-
and IL-6 production in Bcl10- and Malt1-deficient BMMCs, we analyzed cytokine mRNA levels before and 30 min after Fc
RI ligation using semiquantitative RT-PCR. Unstimulated and stimulated populations of all three cell lines contained equal amounts of ß-actin transcripts, indicating appropriate normalization (Fig. 4 B). In WT BMMCs, both TNF-
and IL-6 mRNA levels increased substantially upon Fc
RI stimulation. However, in the absence of Bcl10 or Malt1 the induction of these cytokine transcripts was either absent or largely reduced compared with the WT. Thus, Bcl10 and Malt1 are critically required for Fc
RI-mediated TNF-
and IL-6 gene transcription and subsequent protein production. These results indicate that the defective PCA reactions observed in Bcl10- or Malt1-deficient mice in vivo might reflect the essential requirements for the two signaling proteins for Fc
RI-mediated cytokine production.
Bcl10 and Malt1 are dispensable for IgE-induced mast cell survival
In lymphocytes, Bcl10 and Malt1 are not only vital for cell activation but also involved in the regulation of cell survival (15). Because recent studies demonstrated a role for Fc
RI-derived signals in the control of mast cell survival (4, 5), we also studied the contributions of Bcl10 and Malt1 to this pathway (Fig. 5). BMMCs of WT, Bcl10/, and Malt1/ mice were incubated for 4 d in media with low concentrations of FCS without IL-3 and SCF. This growth factor withdrawal induced apoptotic death of WT, Bcl10/, and Malt1/ BMMCs. The frequency of apoptotic cells was independent of the presence of Bcl10 or Malt1 as determined by flow cytometry after annexin V/propidium iodide staining. (Fig. 5 A). Stimulation of cells with IgE alone or in combination with antigen (unpublished data) rescued cell death and up-regulated the expression of the prosurvival protein Bcl-XL in mast cells of all three genotypes similarly (Fig. 5 B). We thus conclude that Bcl10 and Malt1 are not essential for the Fc
RI-controlled survival pathway.
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RI-controlled NF-
B activation
RI stimulation (Fig. 6 and see Fig. 7).
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RI molecules with antigen results in the rapid activation of receptor-proximal tyrosine kinases, which is a prerequisite for all mast cell effector functions (2). Consistent with the normal degranulation and lipid mediator synthesis in Bcl10/ and Malt1/ mast cells, receptor-proximal signaling does not involve Bcl10 or Malt1 because the tyrosine phosphorylation patterns induced by Fc
RI stimulation did not differ in kinetics or intensity among BMMCs of the three genotypes (Fig. 6 A).
Fc
RI-proximal signaling activates the Erk, Jnk, and p38 pathways, as well as the phosphatidylinositol 3kinase pathway that results in the activation of the serine kinase Akt. These cascades regulate both cytokine production and generation of arachidonic acid metabolites upon Fc
RI ligation (1, 2). Bcl10 and Malt1 have been implicated in the regulation of Jnk and p38 signaling in lymphocytes (18, 19). However, using immunoblotting with activation statespecific phosphoantibodies against Jnk, p38, the p42 and p44 MAP kinases Erk1 and Erk2, or Akt, we could not detect differences in the Fc
RI-induced activation of any of these pathways among WT, Bcl10/, and Malt1/ mast cells (Fig. 6 B). We additionally activated the cells with PMA/Iono and again detected similar activation for Jnk, p38, Erk1, Erk2, and Akt in the presence or absence of either Bcl10 or Malt1 (Fig. 6 C).
As earlier mentioned, the expression of TNF-
and IL-6 critically depends on the activation of NF-
B. Based on known functions of Bcl10 and Malt1 in lymphocytes and their newly discovered requirement in mast cells, we reasoned that the two proteins might be involved in Fc
RI-mediated NF-
B activation. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed I
B-
phosphorylation and its subsequent degradation in Fc
RI-stimulated BMMCs of the three genotypes. Fc
RI signaling in WT cells induced rapid I
B-
phosphorylation and, consequently, its degradation (Fig. 7 A). In contrast, signaling to I
B-
was completely abolished in Bcl10/ or in Malt1/ mast cells. Direct PKC activation via PMA/Iono stimulation also resulted in I
B-
phosphorylation and degradation only in the WT cells but not in BMMCs deficient for either Bcl10 or Malt1, indicating a requirement for Bcl10 and Malt1 downstream of PKC activation.
To directly investigate NF-
B nuclear translocation and DNA binding, we performed gel shift assays with nuclear extracts from stimulated mast cells. Consistent with the marked impairment of I
B-
phosphorylation and degradation in Bcl10/ and Malt1/ BMMCs, NF-
B was only activated in WT mast cells but not in those deficient for Bcl10 or Malt1 (Fig. 7 B). Thus, Bcl10 and Malt1 are both essential to specifically couple Fc
RI and PKC signaling to the activation of the NF-
B pathway in mast cells.
| DISCUSSION |
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B activation induced by the high-affinity IgE receptor Fc
RI. Bcl10- or Malt1-deficient mast cells do not produce the NF-
Bregulated proinflammatory cytokines TNF-
and IL-6 and, consistently, late phase PCA reactions are severely impaired in Bcl10- or Malt1-deficient mice in vivo.
Activation of mast cells through the Fc
RI initiates a cascade of events that lead to degranulation, production of lipid mediators such as leukotrienes, and transcriptional up-regulation and release of proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-
or IL-6. These all represent normal mast cell functions that, depending on the context, may be beneficial or harmful in the setting of innate or allergic immune responses. Bcl10 and Malt1 are not involved in Fc
RI-proximal signaling events that are known to lead to the activation of PKC enzymes (2). The PKC family consists of at least 10 serine/threonine kinases, and previous studies have indicated that PKC activation is involved in all aspects of mast cell effector functions (26). Although comprehensive studies of the individual roles of all PKC isoforms in mast cell biology are missing, chemical or genetic inhibition of the PMA- and calcium-sensitive conventional isoforms PKC
and PKCß identified these kinases as essential inducers of degranulation and cytokine and leukotriene production (2729). The PMA-sensitive but calcium-insensitive isoform PKC
is involved in the activation of leukotriene synthesis (30) and can simultaneously function as a negative regulator of antigen-induced degranulation (31).
In this paper, we show that Fc
RI- and PMA/Iono-induced I
B-
phosphorylation, degradation, and NF-
B activation are completely abolished in Bcl10- or Malt1-deficient mast cells. These results reveal an essential requirement for Bcl10Malt1 signaling downstream of the Fc
RI and downstream of all PMA-responsive PKCs in mast cells. Importantly, however, Fc
RI- or PMA/Iono-induced activation of the Jnk, p38, Erk, and Akt pathways are intact in Bcl10/ and Malt1/ mast cells, indicating that the Bcl10Malt1 complex does not affect all PKC downstream pathways. Consistent with the regular activation of selected Fc
RI or PKC effector signals, we observed normal mast cell survival, degranulation, and leukotriene production in the absence of Bcl10 or Malt1. The observation that TNF-
and IL-6 transcription and protein production are severely impaired in Bcl10- or Malt1-deficient mast cells is in agreement with our findings that Bcl10Malt1 specifically controls Fc
RI-induced NF-
B activation and the known role of NF-
B for cytokine gene expression. Considering all in vitro results collectively, we propose a model for the molecular functions of Bcl10 and Malt1 in mast cell signaling that is depicted in Fig. 7 C. This signaling model is consistent with the in vivo observations in Bcl10- and Malt1-deficient mice, as immediate phase PCA reactions that depend on mast cell degranulation (21) are normal, whereas late phase reactions that are at least partially dependent on transcriptional induction and the release of mast cellderived cytokines (1, 24) are severely impaired in the absence of either Bcl10 or Malt1. However, because in the mutant animals all cells lack Bcl10 or Malt1, signaling deficiencies in other cells besides mast cells could additionally contribute to the defective late phase PCA response.
Experiments with genetically altered mice have recently elucidated many aspects of positive and negative regulation of Fc
RI-induced mast cell activation (1). Collectively, these findings demonstrate that antigen receptorspecific molecules required for Fc
RI signaling generally affect several aspects of mast cell function simultaneously. In contrast, we identified the Bcl10Malt1 signaling complex as a molecular structure that selectively regulates one downstream effector arm of Fc
RI, namely NF-
Bmediated cytokine production, but does not affect mast cell survival, degranulation, or the synthesis of leukotrienes.
The conclusion that the Bcl10Malt1 complex operates selectively downstream of PKCs in Fc
RI signaling to NF-
B provides novel insights into context-specific immune regulation. The Fc
RI on mast cells belongs to the family of multisubunit immunoreceptors that also includes the TCR and the B cell receptor (BCR), but numerous genetic studies have demonstrated that each of these receptors uses unique sets of downstream molecules to differentially mediate cell activation. For example, the Fc
RI requires the tyrosine kinases Syk and Btk and the adaptor molecule linker for activation of T cells to mediate mast cell activation (3234). Syk and Btk are additionally required for BCR signaling but are completely dispensable for T cell activation, whereas the linker for activation of T cells is essential for TCR signaling but has no role in B cells (3537). The Bcl10Malt1 complex is also known to be differentially used by immunoreceptors. Bcl10 can bind to Carma molecules and recruit Malt1 and various TNF receptorassociated factor molecules and kinases such as TAK1 into signaling complexes to mediate downstream activation of NF-
B, Jnk, and p38 (15, 19, 3840). TCR signaling to NF-
B critically depends on Bcl10, Malt1, and the kinase TAK1 (39). However, Malt1 is partially expendable for BCR signaling to NF-
B (18), and TAK1 is completely dispensable for BCR-induced NF-
B activation but selectively controls p38 MAP kinase signaling in response to BCR ligation (40). Our findings that Fc
RI signaling requires both Bcl10 and Malt1 for NF-
B control but not for Jnk or p38 activation extend this idea of receptor-specific utilization of the signaling module and reinforces the necessity to investigate the precise function of each signal transducer in distinct cell lineages. So far there are no other reports available that explore roles of Bcl10, Malt1, or any of their binding partners in Fc
RI signaling. It will thus be additionally important to study mast cells in mice deficient in Carma proteins, TNF receptorassociated factor molecules, and MAP kinaseactivating kinases, including TAK1, to understand precisely how the Fc
RI differentially couples to NF-
B and Jnk/p38 downstream signaling. These studies could also reveal the Bcl10Malt1independent mechanisms of Jnk and p38 activation and give further insights into the selective control of distinct mast cell effector functions.
Recent biochemical studies have shown that Bcl10Malt1 signaling to IKK and NF-
B involves the oligomerization of Bcl10 and Malt1 and subsequent Malt1-dependent regulatory lysine-63linked ubiquitinylation of IKK
/NEMO, which induces IKK activity (39, 41). These findings open the possibility that Bcl10Malt1 signaling could potentially be inhibited by targeted drugs because numerous kinase inhibitors and many compounds that target the ubiquitin/proteasome system are in preclinical or clinical development. Mast cellderived TNF-
recruits and activates neutrophils and lymphocytes at sites of inflammation and has been implicated in tissue remodeling processes, angiogenesis, and fibrosis that can be so prominent in IgE-associated chronic allergic diseases (1, 23, 42, 43). Consequently, there is a tremendous interest in inhibiting TNF-
production in allergic inflammation. In this paper, we demonstrate that a complete genetic blockage of Bcl10Malt1 signaling thoroughly abolishes Fc
RI-specific NF-
B activation and TNF-
and IL-6 production in mast cells. Thus, we suggest that specific therapeutic targeting of Bcl10Malt1 signaling could potentially contribute to the therapy of mast cellmediated inflammatory diseases without the toxic side effects that can be expected from general NF-
B inhibition.
| MATERIALS AND METHODS |
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Skin histology.
Naive animals at 1012 wk of age were killed, and skin samples from the ear, neck, and groin regions were removed and fixed in 4% formalin. 4-µm tissue sections were stained with toluidine blue, and mast cells were counted in the dermis of each sample at 40x. 10 fields at 10x (per mouse and location) were used to delineate and integrate the dermal area (KS 300 software; Carl Zeiss MicroImaging, Inc.) that was analyzed.
BMMC culture and FACS analysis.
Bone marrow cells were cultured in suspension in RPMI 1640 with 20% FCS, 30 ng/ml murine IL-3 (R&D Systems), 50 ng/ml murine SCF (R&D Systems), and 150 µM monothioglycerol (Sigma-Aldrich). To quantify BMMC frequencies, cells were stained with FITC-labeled anti-Fc
RI and PE-labeled antic-kit antibody (eBioscience) and analyzed by flow cytometry (FACScan; Becton Dickinson).
PCA.
For immediate phase PCA reactions, mice were passively sensitized by intradermal injection of 250 ng anti-DNP IgE mAb (clone H1-
-26; provided by F.-T. Liu [University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA] and D.H. Katz [Avanir Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, CA]) into one ear and PBS injection into the contralateral ear. 24 h later, mice were challenged by i.v. injection of 150 µg of DNPHSA (3040 moles DNP/mol HSA; Sigma-Aldrich) in 100 µl Evans blue dye (0.5%; Sigma-Aldrich). To determine the amount of extravasated dye, mice were killed, ears were removed, and Evans blue dye was extracted with potassium hydroxide and photometrically quantified as described previously (22).
For late phase PCA reactions, mice were passively sensitized by i.v. injection of 2 µg anti-DNP IgE mAb (clone H1-
-26) or left unsensitized. 24 h later, sensitized and nonsensitized mice were challenged by epicutaneous application of 10 µl of DNFB (0.2% wt/vol) in acetone/olive oil (4:1) to both sides of both ears. The ear swelling response was assessed by measuring the ear thickness using an engineer's micrometer dial thickness gauge. The increment of ear thickness (postchallenge value prechallenge baseline value) was expressed as the percentage of the baseline value obtained before antigen challenge.
Mast cell degranulation.
To induce degranulation, 2 x 106 BMMCs/ml were loaded with 5 µg/ml anti-DNP IgE mAb (SPE-7; Sigma-Aldrich) for 1 h on ice in Tyrode's buffer (10 mM Hepes, pH 7.4, 130 mM NaCl, 5 mM KCl, 1.4 mM CaCl2, 1 mM MgCl2, 5.6 mM glucose, and 0.1% BSA). After washing, sensitized cells were stimulated with the concentrations of DNPHSA indicated in the figures. Alternatively, cells were left unsensitized and stimulated with 100 nM PMA (Sigma-Aldrich) and 100 nM Iono (Sigma-Aldrich) in Tyrode's buffer. The enzymatic activities of ß-hexosaminidase in supernatants and cell pellets solubilized with 0.5% Triton X-100 in Tyrode's Buffer were measured with p-nitrophenyl-N-acetyl-ß-D-glucosaminide (Sigma-Aldrich), and the percentage of degranulation was calculated as previously described (25).
Measurements of leukotrienes and cytokines.
2 x 106 BMMCs/ml were loaded with 0.5 µg/ml anti-DNP IgE mAb (SPE-7) overnight, washed twice, and stimulated with DNPHSA or left unsensitized and stimulated with PMA and Iono (100 nM each) as indicated in the figures. Cell supernatants were harvested, and leukotrienes LTC4, LTD4, and LTE4 were determined by enzyme-linked immunoassay (GE Healthcare), whereas IL-6 and TNF-
were determined by ELISA DuoSets (R&D Systems), as recommended by the manufacturer.
RT-PCR.
2 x 106 BMMCs/ml were loaded with 0.5 µg/ml anti-DNP IgE mAb (SPE-7) overnight, washed twice, and stimulated with 20 ng/ml DNPHSA for 30 min. Total RNA was isolated using TRIzol reagent (Invitrogen), according to the manufacturer's instructions, and reverse transcribed using the Superscript first-strand synthesis system (Invitrogen). Primers and PCR conditions were described elsewhere (25).
Survival assay.
BMMCs were cultured as indicated in the figures. Cell viability was quantified by flow cytometry after annexin V/propidium iodide staining as recommended by the manufacturer (BD Biosciences).
Signal transduction.
For Fc
RI signaling, 2 x 106 BMMCs/ml were preloaded with 0.5 µg/ml anti-DNP IgE mAb (SPE-7) and subsequently activated by adding 20 ng/ml DNPHSA, as indicated in the figures. Alternatively, BMMCs were left unsensitized and stimulated with PMA and Iono (100 nM each) or with 5 µg/ml anti-DNP IgE mAb for Bcl-XL induction. Cells were lysed, and denatured proteins were separated on 10% polyacrylamide gels and subjected to immunoblotting using antibodies against phosphotyrosine (PY99; Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc.), phospho-p38, p38, phospho-p44/42, p44/42, phospho-Jnk, Jnk, phospho-Akt, Akt, phosphoI
B-
, I
b-
, Bcl-XL (all from Cell Signaling), or ß-actin (Sigma-Aldrich). For electromobility shift assays, 107 BMMCs/sample were stimulated with PMA/Iono, and gel shifts were performed as described previously (17).
Statistical analysis.
Results were analyzed for statistical significance with the unpaired two-tailed Student's t test (Excel; Microsoft). Data from Bcl10/ and Malt1/ mice or BMMCs were separately compared with the WT. Differences between groups were considered significant at P
0.05.
| Acknowledgments |
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-s26 mAb; and Britta Dorn for excellent technical assistance. This work was supported by grants from the German National Genome Project (NUWS31T05S15T03, subproject 3b), the German Federal Ministry of Science and Education (BMBF 01GC0104, subproject 2), and the Technical University of Munich Medical School (KKF 8760179) to T. Jakob and by a Max-Eder-Program grant from Deutsche Krebshilfe and grants from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (SFB 455 and SFB 456) to J. Ruland.
The authors have no conflicting financial interests.
Submitted: 4 October 2005
Accepted: 23 December 2005
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